Francis Jeffers has preached patience at Sheffield Wednesday from owner Dejphon Chansiri after an underwhelming start to the new season under Danny Rohl.
The Owls achieved a miraculous escape from relegation last year, with Rohl playing a pivotal role in turning things around for the Yorkshire outfit.
Many had expected Sheffield Wednesday to suffer relegation back to League One when he was appointed, with previous manager Xisco Munoz leaving them rock bottom of the table, with zero wins from 10 games.
Their recovery to 20th led to optimism that they could be more competitive this year, but they are still 20th after the first four games.
Rohl’s side won their opening league fixture against Plymouth Argyle 4-0, but have since lost their next three games.
| Championship standings 2024/25 (As of September 9th) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | P | GD | Pts | |
| 20 | Sheffield Wednesday | 4 | -5 | 3 |
| 21 | Preston North End | 4 | -6 | 3 |
| 22 | Plymouth Argyle | 4 | -5 | 2 |
| 23 | Luton Town | 4 | -5 | 1 |
| 24 | Cardiff City | 4 | -9 | 1 |
Francis Jeffers offers Sheffield Wednesday advice
Jeffers believes that Rohl has earned the opportunity to work his way through a poor run of form after the miracle he oversaw last year.
The 43-year-old has claimed that patience is needed from Chansiri, citing the 4-0 win over the Pilgrims as an example of the potential this team possesses under the German coach.
“Danny Rohl proved last year he is a top manager at this level,” Jeffers told FLW.
“Keeping Sheffield Wednesday up was a great achievement and he deserves patience from the owner.
“I believe they will improve as the opening day win over Plymouth was excellent and the cup wins have been good as well.
“This break can come at a good time and expect the team to improve.”
Sheffield Wednesday will return to action this weekend, where they will be looking to put an end to their current losing run.
Defeats to Sunderland, Leeds United, and Millwall have hurt their chances of moving up the Championship table, conceding nine and scoring none in those three games.
But a 2-1 victory over Hull City in the EFL Cup first round in August also shows that they can compete at this level.
Sheffield Wednesday’s summer transfer business
It was a busy summer at Hillsborough, with Rohl bringing in a number of fresh faces to try and improve the squad.
Permanent deals were agreed for the likes of Ike Ugbo, Olaf Kobacki, Yan Valery, Max Lowe, Jamal Lowe and Nathaniel Chalobah, among others.
Loan moves for James Beadles and Shea Charles were also agreed, with the two youngsters arriving for the season ahead.
Next up for Sheffield Wednesday is a home game against QPR on 14 September.
Busy summer could be cause of slow start for Sheffield Wednesday
It was a busy summer for the Owls, and that could be why they’ve struggled so far this season.
Adding so many new faces to a squad can take time for everyone to gel properly, and an international break could be just what they needed to find their footing again.
The next few games will be important for Rohl, as they will need to put this losing run to bed.
But it is still a long season to come, and there will be plenty of chances for him to prove that last year wasn’t just a fluke.
